McDONALD’S might be playing The Albert Hotel in next month’s McDonald’s Tamworth Twenty20 Final after two final-round upsets at Riverside last night.
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At Dick Edwards Oval, fourth-placed Steggles was handing competition leaders McDonald’s their successive defeat in the competition with a 59-run win while The Albert Hotel inflicted a 49-run loss on Halpin’s Plumbing across the lane on Dick Edwards Oval.
Steggles made 6-219 and then had McDonald’s 9-160 in their clash but it was The Albert’s win which might have caused the greatest drama.
After making 7-168, they bowled out Halpin’s Plumbing for 119.
Halpin’s Plumbing had entered the game one win ahead of The Albert.
The win enabled The Albert to draw level on points.
Under the T20 rules, the team with the most number of sixes goes through.
“I’ll have to go home and get on the computer and see who has hit the most sixes,” said Tamworth District Association administrator Graham Davies, who has just returned from an overseas holiday.
“That’s my homework for the night.”
The Albert Hotel skipper Adam Jones had already done his homework.
“I think we’re one ahead of them,” Jones said.
“I did a count and I think we’re 8-7 up.”
Halpin’s Plumbing franchisee Matt Halpin believes Jones might be right.
“I wouldn’t doubt him,” Halpin said.
“That could be the case. We’ve had a good run though.”
Jones said his side had “come good at the right time”.
“We struggled for players early on,” he said.
“Our last game down here we had seven out too.
“So tonight was a great team effort.
“It’s the best we’ve put it together.
“We batted well, bowled well, fielded well.
“We played as close to a perfect game as we could.”
Josh Crowe gave The Albert a great start, hitting 43 off 16 balls.
Despite losing Nick Leyden off the second ball to Col Smyth (3-13), Crowe scored the first 41 runs for The Albert.
Then Jones walked in and belted three sixes and five fours in a 38-ball 70.
He and Crowe hit five sixes between them.
Halpin’s Plumbing had just two players reach double figures.
Smyth hit a six in his 28-ball 34 and Tim Kensell remained unbeaten on a 45-ball 53.
Brad Redshaw finished with 3-18 and Richie O’Halloran 2-9 to clean up the tail.
The other game was highlighted by Ben Middlebrook’s unbeaten 113.
He slammed nine sixes and seven fours in his unbeaten century off just 54 balls.
Michael Rixon also hit two sixes and three fours in his 26-ball 43 in Steggles 6-219.
Chris Skilton then slammed a 15-ball 43 as seven of the first nine McDonald’s batsmen made double figures in their 9-160.
Jack Richards (3-33) and Luke Paterson (3-34) bowled well in their four-over stints and Deklan Baker grabbed 1-19.
